ReliefWeb

68,306
BURUNDIAN REFUGEES HOSTED IN RWANDA
(30 JUNE 2018)

US$ 74 M
REQUIRED IN RWANDA IN 2018

9%
FUNDING RECEIVED (17 JULY 2018)

9
RRP PARTNERS IN RWANDA IN 2018

Situation Overview

As of June 2018, of the total of 151,250 refugees and asylum seekers in Rwanda, 68,306 are of Burundian origin. 57,589 Burundian refugees are living in the country’s largest refugee camp, Mahama, opened on 22 April 2015. Four transit/reception sites are currently operating. The remaining 10,717 Burundian refugees are living in urban areas, mainly in Kigali and Huye. RRP partners cover urgent, life-saving needs. However, now that the Burundian refugee population has been in Rwanda for three years and continues to grow, emergency facilities established in 2015 are deteriorating and need rehabilitation.

Burundian refugees continue to flee into Rwanda with an average of 176 new arrivals weekly. New arrivals require continuous intervention to ensure that adequate levels of protection and basic assistance are provided. Currently, RRP partners do not foresee a possibility for a safe and dignified repatriation of the majority of refugees in Rwanda to Burundi in the near future.

Lake Kivu KIGALI RRP partners work closely with the Government of Rwanda (GoR) and in particular with its primary counterpart, the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugees (MIDIMAR), to ensure protection and basic as 75,000 Livelihoods 5.8 refugees in the country and in identifying appropriate durable solutions. A total of nine agencies are involved in the interagency refugee response plan and are working with other partners in Rwanda, providing services in the 40,000 WASH 8.4 refugee camp and transit / reception sites and ensuring protection and assistance in urban settings.

UNHCR, in the context of the Government-UNHCR Strategy for Economic Inclusion of Refugees (2016-2020), and UNHCR Policy on Alternatives to Camps (2014), is seeking together with RRP partners to enable refugees to fulfil their productive potential as members of the Rwandan society who contribute to the economic development of host communities. Corresponding to the Government’s ambition to enable and promote socio-economic inclusion, in 2018 the operation started implementing its Multi Year Multi-Partner Protection and Solutions Strategy.

RRP partners continue to ensure that refugees fleeing from Burundi have access to the territory, the right to seek asylum and protection from refoulement, access to registration, documentation, protection and life-saving support in multi sectoral areas.

Following the verification exercise conducted in urban settings in the first half of the year, the number of urban Burundian refugees decreased significantly (now standing at 10,717 as of 30 June). The verification will take place in Mahama camp in 2019. This will pave the way for refugees to obtain identity documents issued by the Government.